Melodies in Walt's Time: The legacy of music in Disney Live action films

The “Melodies in Walt’s Time: The Music of Disney Live Action Films” panel at D23 Expo 2017 focused on the music from the Live Action films that Walt Disney worked on. The panel featured Leonard Maltin and Whoopi Goldberg using a 4-piece band and choir to bring to life the music. D23 goers were treated to the concert and a special appearance by Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman’s son Jeffrey Sherman, Lesley Ann Warren and Karen Doltrice. According to Maltin, music was the foundation for Walt Disney’s success.

“He had a genius,” says Maltin. “He understood, in his own way, music” even though he couldn’t play an instrument.Walt didn’t do musicals in the early days, but his films and TV shows still had music: The Ballad of Davy Crockett, the Mickey Mouse Club March, The Parent Trap, The Monkey’s Uncle and more. Babes in Toyland was the first musical that Walt made.

“It doesn’t quite come off,” says Maltin. Walt didn’t have the infrastructure in place for making a musical at the time.“Sincerity’s hard,” says Goldberg.

The Sherman Brothers were writing songs for Annette Funicello.

“They had an approach to songs,” says Maltin. “As songwriters though, they focused on positivity, always.”

“I thought everybody’s parents wrote songs. I didn’t know,” says Jeffrey Sherman. “Walt was almost a family member to them” like a second father. A song can get into people’s souls. “It’s almost like a Greek Chorus.” The song should never stop the story. “They always worked on stories.” “They wrote very simple and smart songs.”

“Simplicity is an art itself,” says Maltin.

One of the people that made it easy for Doltrice to work on Mary Poppins was Dick Van Dyke.

The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band was the second movie that Warren did with Walt. She was under contract with Disney at the time. Her first experience, The Happiest Millionaire, was great.

“You felt so protected by his (Walt’s) world,” says Warren. “It was a dream come true.”

Warren started working at 18 and was glad for the atmosphere at the Disney Studios. She says it was liberating to work there. She loved the song The Happiest Girl Alive from The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band. The film featured Kurt Russell, and Goldie Hawn had a small but important role.

Co-star from The Happiest Millionaire Joyce Bulifant joined Warren on stage. Bulifant says that the day she was set to record for her role, Walt showed up.

“Walt was so wonderful,” says Bulifant. He put his arm around her. “He said, ‘I have big plans for you little lady’ and then he died… You can’t win ‘em all.” “It was wonderful to be able to express myself.”

A.J. Caruthers wrote The Miracle of White Stallions as his first assignment. His wife Caryl Caruthers joined the others on stage.​“Walt knew talent when he saw it,” says Caryl. “The Shermans and Walt were a perfect match.” According to Caryl, ‘Fortuosity’ is another example of the Sherman Brothers ability to create the American language. “It was a reminder that we need to find those little happenstances in life.” Walt never saw the completed film, but he did watch the dailies.